Getting Cozy...

The red maple beside our house turned a magnificent orange this year and the aspen in the front of drive a sunshine yellow. I love the fall season!

 


Far from being complacent however, the fall is probably one of the busiest months because the winter follows not far behind. I'm sad to say that with the water situation this last year, there is not much that I got canned as the garden did nothing and I was too afraid to use too much water as we were constantly running out of it. (Actually turned out to be a bad gauge but after three months without water, I wasn't taking any chances!)









It's also time to start thinking about how we are going to heat our house this winter. Last year we didn't get in any wood due to finances and let me tell you it was cold! There is nothing like a warm woodstove heat! It's a consistent heat instead of  oil heat which relies on the room getting cooler before the furnace kicks on.  

So this weekend we stacked four facecord of firewood. Economically, with what we pay for a whole season of firewood, would only pay maybe one month of oil heat. 

Also, there is no better exercise that getting out in the fresh air and stacking the wood. My son and I stacked most of it and we have such great conversations as we work. When we re done, we can stand back and feel a sense of satisfaction... and sore muscles for days to come.   

I also turtlenecked the chickens with the cutoff tops of socks. I have one of my girls who has developed a bad habit of snatching the feathers of her fellow coopmates and eatting them.

The instigator...looking at the sock and contemplating.

 I'm not sure what the deal is with that but needless to say I have a bunch of naked necked chickens! The thought came to me to put socks over their necks to allow for the feathers to grow back before it starts getting cold. Needless to say, the girls are not happy with the situation.

We still have more chores to do before the first heavy snowfall but winter prep has begun!